Nairobi Central OCS Samson Tallam Was Not Arrested in Eldoret, Lawyer Danstan Omari Clarifies
In response, Tallam—accompanied by his lawyer, Mr. Kitone—presented himself at the DCI headquarters in Nairobi at around 2:00 PM on Friday.
Nairobi Central Police Station OCS Samson Tallam. Photo/Capital FM.
By Robert Assad
Reports circulating on social media and some mainstream outlets that Nairobi Central Police Station OCS Samson Tallam was arrested in Eldoret have been dismissed as false by his lawyer, Danstan Omari.
Speaking from Lang’ata Police Station on Friday, Omari confirmed that his client is in custody—but clarified that Tallam voluntarily presented himself to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nairobi and was not apprehended in Eldoret, as had been widely speculated.
“I am at Lang’ata Police Station, as you can see. I came to visit my client, Mr. Tallam, the OCS of Nairobi Central Police Station who is locked inside here,” Omari said. “There are rumors being circulated that Tallam was arrested in Eldoret. That is not true.”
According to Omari, the sequence of events began after DCI Director Mohammed Amin told Parliament that Tallam had become a “person of interest.”
In response, Tallam—accompanied by his lawyer, Mr. Kitone—presented himself at the DCI headquarters in Nairobi at around 2:00 PM on Friday.
From there, DCI officers escorted Tallam to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), where he recorded a statement. He was later transferred to Lang’ata Police Station.
However, legal confusion arose upon his arrival at the station. “A standoff occurred over who was to officially book him,” Omari explained. “The DCI officers couldn’t do it because they are not the investigators, and IPOA lacks the legal capacity to book individuals into a police station since they are not police officers.”
This impasse lasted nearly an hour before the investigating officer, identified as Mr. Jibril, officially entered Tallam into the Occurrence Book (OB). Omari termed the situation “a very serious statutory and constitutional question,” indicating that the legal team may challenge the procedural legality of the booking.
Despite being held at Lang’ata, Omari reassured the public about Tallam’s well-being. “He is comfortable, he has not been harassed, and he is well taken care of. He will be available to face his accusers in court.”
Omari added that a full briefing regarding the events surrounding the death of a man identified as Ojuang—who was allegedly in custody at Central Police Station before being declared dead at Mbagathi General Hospital—will be issued on Saturday.
“For now, all I want the country to know is that Tallam is held here, is in good health, and will provide a further statement tomorrow morning,” Omari concluded.
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